Metallic soap solution



' Patented Nov. 26,1940

UNITED STATES IHETALLIC SOAP SOLUTION Francis J. Licata, New York, N. Y., and Joseph P. Nothm Elizabeth, N. 1.; assignors to National Oil Products Company, Harrison, N. .L, a corporation of New'Jersey No Drawing. Application July 22, 1938, Serial No. 220.700

. 16 Claims. ((1134-11 The invention relates in general to solutions of polyvalent metal soaps and in particular to polyvalent metal soap solutions of high concentration and to correlated improvements in waterproofing and other compositions produced therefrom.

The waterproofing properties of the polyvalent metal soaps, also known in the art as metallic soaps, has been fully recognized and their use for this purpose is now well established. The most convenient method of applying polyvalent metal soaps to various surfaces is to produce a solution thereof in a solvent therefor. Various organic solvents have been used in the preparation of polyvalent metal soapsolution, the more common ones including, among others, the hy drocarbons and their halogenated derivatives. While the foregoing practice has enjoyed some success, many difficulties have been encountered 2 in view of the fact when more than about 2% or 3% of the soap is dissolved in solvent, the resulting mass forms a gel under atmospheric conditions, thus rendering it substantially useless as a coating or waterproofing composition. While the 25 gel can be heated to render it somewhat fluid, the application thereof in a heated state is entirely unsatisfactory for most purposes. The application of solutions containing from 2% to 3% polyvalent metal soap is also highly impractical 30 in view of the diluteness of the solution. Moreover, the cost is high due to the large amounts of solvent necessary.

Various proposals have been .ofiered in an atsition of matter possessing the characteristics,

tempt to solve the foregoing problem by increas- 35 ing the soap concentration without affecting the fluidity of the resulting solution. Peptizlng agents such as acetic acid, phenol, tartaric acid, oxalic acid and the like have been used to increase the soap concentration in a solvent mixture without affecting the fluidity thereof. This proposal has proven to be highly undesirable commercially in view of the corrosive character imparted to the composition by such acidic agents. Another proposal includes the use of the ethanolamines or the ethanolamine salts of the higher fatty acids for the purpose of increasing the con centration of polyvalent metal soap solutions. A solution produced according to this teaching also has its drawbacks. The general object of the invention is to obviate the foregoing and other disadvantages.

A specific object of the invention is to provide an improved free flowing concentrated polyvalent metal soap solution. 5 A further object of the invention is to provide ricinoleic, palmitic, etc. acids.

an improved coating and waterproofing composition.

Another object of the invention is to provide free flowing polyvalentmetal soap solutions containing up to 50% polyvalent metal soap.

Other objects will in part appear obvious and 5 will in part appear hereinafter.

-It has now been found that the foregoing and other objects of the invention may be achieved by the use of suitable oil-soluble wetting agents. According to the invention a relatively small proportion of a suitable oil-soluble wetting agent containing an $03 group is used in the process of dissolving polyvalent metal soaps in a suitable organic solvent. The quantity of wetting agent used is usually determined by the concentration as well as the fluidity desired in theultimate product. While any suitable oil-soluble wetting agent may be used, the sulfated or sufonated types have been found to be superior, and they are, therefore, preferred. The free flowing composition of the invention is particularly adapted. for use in coating and'waterprooflng paper, textiles, leather and other similar materials, and particularly in the waterproofing of building materials, such as, stone, concrete, bricks, wood and the like. It has been found that the wetting agents of the preferred type further provide a desirable plasticizing efi'ect in the deposited coating. The expressions solution and dissolving are used so in a broad sense and they are to include dispersions and dispersing respectively,

The invention accordingly comprises a compoproperties and the relation of components which will be exemplifledin the composition hereinafter described and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

In the preparation of the composition of the invention, any suitable polyvalent metal soap of a. higher fatty or similar acids, such as the naphthenic acids, may be employed. Examples of such soaps include, inter alia, the polyvalent metal soaps of fatty acids containing 8 or more carbon atoms, such as the aluminum,v calcium, magnesium, zinc, etc., soaps of stearic, oleic, 'linoleic, The expression polyvalent metal soap is employed to connote water-insoluble metal soaps of the higher fatty acids containing 8 or-more carbon atoms and like soaps of the naphthenic acids, the latter of which may be obtained synthetically or from the refining of petroleum. While any suitable polyvalent metal soap may be used in accordance with the invention, the aluminum and calcium soaps are thenic acids, naphthalene sulphonic acid, sul-' fated animal and vegetable oils (particularly the anhydrous and salt-free type produced in accordance with the disclosures in copending U. S. patent applications Serial No. 77,761, filed May 4, 1936: Serial No. 160,270, filed August 21, 1937;

and Serial No. 197,858, filed March 24, 1938.

As for the vehicle, any suitable solvent may be used such as the hydrocarbons or their halogenated derivatives, examples of which include, petroleum spirits, gasolene, toluol, benzol, xylol,

terpenes, carbon tetrachloride, trichloroethane,

etc. Oxygen containing solvents, such as alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, etc., may also be used in combination with the foregoing type.

The percentage of polyvalent metal soap present in the final composition may be varied up to 50% depending upon the particular use of the composition. Moreover, the quantity of oil-soluble wetting agent may likewise be varied to obtain the desired properties in the composition. Best results have been obtained by using an amount of the wetting agent within the range of about 1% to 20% by weight of the composition, the quantity used depending, in part, on the quantity of soap included.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following examples which are given mere- 0 1y to further illustrate the invention and are not to be construed in'a limiting snse, all parts given being by weight:

Example I 45 A composition particularly adapted for waterproofing various materials and surfaces may have the following formula:

' Parts Aluminum stearate 30 Mahogany soaps 8 Toluol 62 60 Example I 1 Another composition of the invention may have the following formula:

' Parts $35 Aluminum palmitate 25 Mahogany soaps 6 Petroleum spirits 69 Example 111 Still another composition of the invention may be produced from the following constituents:

Parts Aluminum steara'te 20 Mahogany soaps 3 75 Carbon tetrachloride 77 Itis obvious that anyother suitable oil-soluble wetting agent containing an 80: group or mixture of such agents may be used in lieu of the mahogany soaps specifically illustrated in the foregoing examples. Likewise, other suitable sol. vents or polyvalent metal soaps or appropriate mixtures of solvents and soaps may also be employed. The solvent or solvents to be used should be selected according to their boiling point in order to obtain the desired rate of evaporation. In applications where drying is to be effected at atmospheric conditions, solvents having a boiling' point of 150 C. or less is recommended, while higher boiling solvents may be employed when drying is to be carried out under heat and/or under reduced pressure.

A coating depositedfrom the composition of the invention on paper adds decided transparency thereto and thus yields an ideal and relatively inexpensive method for simultaneouslywaterproofing paper and rendering the same transparent. This is highly advantageous in the preparation of certain grades of wrapping paper. Moreover, the plasticized coating facilitates the sealing of the paper in the wrapping of various articles therein. In the application of the free flowing solution to any surface, anysuitable means known to the art may be resorted to.

While any suitable oil-soluble wetting agent containing an 503 group is recommended, the use of mahogany soaps is highly preferred. The proportions of polyvalent metal soap, oil-soluble wetting agent and solvent may be varied-relative to one another to suit the conditions athand.

Inpreparing the free flowing solution, the wetting agent may be added to the solvent or to a gel of polyvalent metal soap in solvent, or'the agent may be distributed throughout the polyvalent metal soap before dissolving or dispersing the same in the solvent.

This application is a continuation-impart of our U. S. application SerialNo. 117,018, filed December 21, 1936.

Since certain changes may be made in the above composition of matter and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from its scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all the generic and Y specific features of the invention herein. described and all statements of the scope of the invention,

which as a matter of language might be said to' fall therebetween; and that they are intended to be inclusive in scope and not exclusive, in that if desired, other materials may be added to our novel composition of matter herein claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention. Particularly, it is to be understood that in said claims, ingredients or components recited in the singular are intended to include compatible mixtuires of said ingredients wherever the sense perm s.

' Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. A free flowing composition comprising a polyvalent metal soap, an oil-soluble wetting agent containing an S0: group and a liquid solvent for the polyvalent metal soap selected from the group consisting of aromatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic hydrocarbons and chlorinated hydrocarbons.

2. A free flowing composition comprising an aluminum soap of a higher fatty acid, an oilsoluble wetting agent containing an $03 group and a liquid solvent for the polyvalent metal soap selected from the group consisting of aromatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic hydrocarbons and chlorinated hydrocarbons.

3. A free flowing composition comprising an aluminum soap of a higher fatty acid, an oilsoluble wetting agent containing an S03 group and a liquid solvent for the aluminum soap selected from the group consisting of aromatic hydro carbons, aliphatic hydrocarbonsand chlorinated hydrocarbons.

4. A free flowing composition comprising aluminum stearate, an oil-soluble wetting agent containing an S: group and a liquid solvent for aluminum stearate selected from the group consist ing of aromatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic hydrocarbons and chlorinated hydrocarbons.

5. A free flowing composition comprising aluminum palmitate, an oil-soluble wetting agent containing an S0: group and a liquid solvent for aluminum palmitate selected from the group consisting of aromatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic hydrocarbons and chlorinated hydrocarbons.

6. A free flowing composition comprising calcium oleate, an oil-soluble wetting agent containing an S0: group and a liquid solvent for calcium oleate selected from the group consisting of aromatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic hydrocarbons and chlorinated hydrocarbons.

7. A free flowing waterproofing composition comprising a polyvalent metal soap, mahogany soaps and a liquid solvent for the polyvalent metal soap selected from the group consisting of arcmatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic hydrocarbons and chlorinated hydrocarbons. V

8. A free flowing waterproofing composition 'comprising an aluminum stearate, mahogany soaps and a liquid solvent for aluminum stearate selected from the group consisting of aromatic selected from the group consisting of aromatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic hydrocarbons and chlorinated hydrocarbons.

10. A'free flowing waterproofing composition comprising a calcium oleate, mahogany soaps and a liquid solvent for calcium oleate selected from the group consisting of aromatic hydrocarbons,

aliphatic hydrocarbons and chlorinated hydrocarbOnS. r 4

11. A free flowing waterproofing composition comprising a polyvalent metal soap, mahogany soaps and toluol. v

12. A free flowing waterproofing composition comprising an aluminum stearate, mahogany soaps and toluol.

13. A free flowing waterprooflng'composition comprising an aluminum stearate, mahogany soaps and petroleum spirits.

14. A free flowing waterproofing composition comprising an aluminum stearate, mahogany soaps and carbon tetrachloride.

15. A free flowing waterproofing composition comprising a polyvalent metal soap, mahogany soaps and a liquid solvent for the polyvalent metal soap selected from the group consisting of aromatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic hydrocarbons and chlorinated. hydrocarbons, the polyvalent metal soap comprising 3% to 50% of the composition.

16. A free flowing waterproofing composition comprising an aluminum soap, mahogany soaps and a liquid solvent for the aluminum soap selected from the group consisting of aromatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic hydrocarbons and chlorinated hydrocarbons, the aluminum soap comprising 3% to 50% of the composition. I

- FRANCIS J. LICATA.

JOSEPH P. NOTHUM. 

